The Consistency of White Advantage and the Heterogeneity of Nonwhite Disadvantage: Neighborhood Trajectories over Two Decades in the Lives of Multiple Birth Cohorts

Sociological research has established the greater exposure of African Americans from all income groups to disadvantaged environments compared to whites, but the traditional focus in studies of neighborhood stratification obscures heterogeneity within racial/ethnic groups in residential attainment over time. Also obscured are the moderating influences of broader social changes on the life-course and the experiences of Latinos, a large and growing presence in American cities. We address these issues by examining group-based trajectory models of residential neighborhood disadvantage among whites, Blacks, and Latinos in a multi-cohort longitudinal research design of over 1,000 children from Chicago as they transitioned to adulthood over the last quarter century. We find dynamic consistency among whites and dynamic heterogeneity among nonwhites in exposure to residential disadvantage, especially Blacks and those born in the 1980s compared to the 1990s. Racial and cohort differences are not accounted for by early-life characteristics that predict long-term attainment. Inequalities by race in trajectories of neighborhood disadvantage are thus at once more stable and more dynamic than previous research suggests, and they are modified by broader social changes. These findings offer insights on the changing pathways by which neighborhood racial inequality is produced.

Geographic distribution of availability of adult day services in Missouri

Adult day service (ADS) is an important component of long-term supportive services. Geographic availability of ADS is an essential factor for aging in place especially for people with assistance needs. This study aims to examine the geographic distribution of availability of ADS and its relationship with the disadvantaged characteristics of neighborhoods. Data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the American Community Survey were utilized. Geographic availability of ADS was measured as capacity (number of clients served) of ADS centers per week divided by the number of people who were 65 or older and under poverty at the census tract level. To examine neighborhood disadvantaged characteristics, principal component analysis was applied to construct a socioeconomic deprivation index (SDI). Using geographic information systems, we mapped ADS centers, geographic availability of ADS, and SDI scores. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between geographic availability of ADS and SDI scores. In 92.3% of the census tracts in Missouri, ADS centers are not available. Further, ADS centers are less likely to locate in rural areas or census tracts with higher numbers of residents 65 or older and poor. Also, lower availability of ADS was associated with higher levels of neighborhood disadvantage at a marginal level (r = - 0.163). Our findings suggested that strategies should be identified to provide ADS in rural areas, especially in the areas with higher levels of neighborhood disadvantage. Further investigation on the geographic distribution of ADS accessibility and its association with neighborhood characteristics is warranted.